


Green is not Len's color.

by canthelpmyselves



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Complicated Relationships, Dubious Consent, Friends With Benefits, Getting Together, Mick Knows Best, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-13 03:50:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21237689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canthelpmyselves/pseuds/canthelpmyselves
Summary: Len knows his Scarlet Speedster. Intelligent? Yes. Handsome? Undoubtedly. Heroic? Absolutely. Straight? Of cour... um wait! Is that Barry on a date with a guy???





	1. Hello, Dick.

**The First Time**

Leonard Snart wasn’t sure what he loved most about facing off against the Flash. The banter or the adrenaline. There was something about this dance they did that made everything he had ever done before pale in comparison. Even when the kid beat him (which happened more than he liked to admit) it was better than any heist he had pulled pre-Flash. 

He watched the trail of red and yellow lightning approach, timing it in his head. “Peek-a-boo, get moving,” he said over his shoulder. The young woman ran over and grabbed Lisa’s hand before teleporting them away, the money from the safe tucked under Lisa’s arm. 

“Sure you don’t want me to stay?” Mick asked calmly, staring at the flame on his lighter.

Shawna reappeared as Len shook his head. “I’ll meet you back at the house.” She grabbed Mick and they disappeared just as the kid sped into the building. “Too late, Scarlet. We were just leaving,” he taunted. 

Barry stopped right in the center of the room and huffed with annoyance. “Dammit, Snart, it’s my day off! Do you have any idea how rare those are?”

Len smirked, hand on the grip of his cold gun. “Quite the cold reception, Scarlet. You know what they say, _snow_ rest for the wicked.”

“I have better things to do today than listen to your puns,” Barry grumbled. “If you’ve already stolen whatever it was you came for, just leave. If not, could you maybe try again another day? Tomorrow is good. Or maybe next week? Next week would be great, in fact.”

Len’s eyes narrowed. “And what could be more important than being the hero?” he asked, his voice teasing even as his mind raced to figure out why Barry wasn’t actively trying to fight. 

Barry gave a sudden jolt before pressing his hand to his right ear. “What, Cisco?”

Len huffed with annoyance. Why was Ramon interrupting their... banter? Discussion? Face off. Yeah, that sounded better.

“Crap!” Barry mumbled. “Okay, tell him I’ll meet him at Venture in twenty minutes, okay?”

“Doesn’t the CCPD have another CSI they can call in?” Len grumbled. He was surprised to see the kid blush as red as his suit.

“Uh, I’ve got a, um, sort of previous engagement,” Barry said awkwardly. “We’ll finish this later, okay? Great. Thanks. See ya, Snart.” Then, much to Len’s surprise and displeasure, he raced from the bank without another word.

For twelve seconds, all Len could do was stare at the lobby. The _empty_ lobby. With a furious look in his eyes, he turned and stormed out of the bank. He didn’t head to the safe house, though. He sent Lisa a text saying he had gotten away (been ignored, to be more precise) and was going to hole up somewhere else for a day or two. Then he went to his real home, changed and headed to the bar Barry had mentioned. He found a table in a dark corner and waited. 

Seven minutes passed before he spotted the kid entering wearing black jeans and a red dress shirt. With him was a dark haired man in his late twenties. The guy was Barry’s height, wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt, which put his muscular arms on display. He moved quietly, like a thief, and gave off a seriously dangerous vibe. They moved to a booth too far away for Len to eavesdrop, but he could see them both well enough. Barry went to the bar for beers, the stranger’s eyes following him intently before sweeping the room. 

Len made sure he looked as inconspicuous as possible, but he had a feeling the guy had noticed him, anyway. For the next hour he watched them talk, laugh and drink. When Barry left the booth to go to the bathroom, he thought about following (just to chat, of course), but the stranger rose as soon as Barry was out of sight and walked straight toward him.

“You seem to find my friend and I interesting,” the younger man said, staring at Len calmly.

Len smirked and tilted his head slightly. “What can I say? Your friend’s very attractive,” he replied, trying to gauge the stranger. 

He gave Len a smirk of his own. “You’re right on both accounts.”

Len’s smirk faded slightly. “Oh?”

“He’s very attractive,” the stranger agreed. “And he’s most assuredly _mine_.”

Len tensed, eyes narrowing in anger. Before he could reply Barry was back, standing beside his ‘friend’.

“Snart?” Barry groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re not here to rob the place, are you?” he asked wearily.

“He’s a criminal?” the newcomer asked hopefully.

“Not your town, Dick,” Barry pointed out.

Len sneered as ‘Dick’ shrugged. “Chill out, Scarlet. Just having a drink,” he said, drawing Barry’s attention back to him. Barry groaned and shook his head, but Len didn’t miss the tiniest of smiles playing at Barry’s lips. “Who’s your friend?” he asked casually.

Barry eyed Len warily before turning to his friend. Dick slowly smiled widely, one arm wrapping around Barry’s waist possessively. Barry blushed again, but didn’t move away. “Snart, this is Dick Grayson. Dick, Leonard Snart.”

Dick tightened his hold on Barry, pulling him just a little bit closer. “It’s always nice to meet an _acquaintance_ of Barr’s,” he said before looking at Barry with a warm expression. Len had no trouble noticing the drawn out emphasis on ‘acquaintance’.

Barry groaned and placed a hand over his eyes in embarrassment. “Dammit, Dick!” he muttered.

Dick ignored Barry’s remark and moved to rest his chin on the speedster’s shoulder. “Well, we’d love to stay and chat,” Dick said, “but it was quite a long trip to get here and see my Teddy Bear, so I’m sure you’ll understand if we call it a night.”

Barry seemed to relax with relief. “Yes!” he said firmly. “Let’s call it a night. Bye, Snart,” he said, grabbing Dick’s wrist and practically pulling the man along behind him as they headed to the exit.

By the time Len had grabbed his coat and paid his tab, there was no sign of Barry or his friend. Len glared up at the sky for a moment before heading toward his home. He was just dropping onto the bed when he realized why he was so annoyed. It wasn’t that the fight he had planned with the Flash didn’t go as planned. It wasn’t that Barry hadn’t bantered with him. It was that Barry had ignored him in order to go to a club with a young, handsome man. 

* * *

He wasn’t stalking the kid. It was just… surveillance. 

He started by checking out West’s house, only to quickly realize that Barry had moved out sometime after Christmas. Some kid named Wally had moved in. It was easy to find Scarlet’s new apartment. All he had to do was trail him from work the next night. It wasn’t hard to keep up, since Barry was getting a ride from _Dick_ on the back of the man’s motorcycle, since apparently, _Dick_ was staying with Barry. Len watched them go to movies, Big Belly Burger, the precinct and Jitters. Barry even took _Dick_ to STAR labs several times. 

Did Barry not understand what a secret identity was??? Len was not happy about how trusting Barry was being with someone named _Dick_.

He also did some research into the man. _Dick_ had been the legal ward of billionaire Bruce Wayne from Gotham City, had attended Hudson University for only a semester and seemed independently wealthy, thanks to an inheritance from his deceased parents. He traveled quite a bit, having few obligations other than a couple of business ventures. He had ties (although Len wasn’t able to find out how close those ties were) to several criminal elements in Gotham. Learning what he could about Scarlet’s new friend was just smart business. Telling Barry about the guy’s less than lawful lifestyle was simply him looking out for the naive CSI.

* * *

Len paid for his coffee and a scone before walking over and dropping into a seat of the corner booth across from Barry. He smirked as Barry looked up, his eyes widening in shock. 

“Snart?”

“Allen.”

Barry leaned forward, casting a quick glance around Jitters. “What are you doing here?” he hissed.

“I like coffee,” he shrugged. 

Barry rolled his eyes. “There are two cops here, and liable to be more soon, as the shifts change. Are you trying to get arrested?”

Len chuckled as he set his coffee on the table. “People see what they want to see. Without the parka, most people don’t associate me with Captain Cold.”

Barry looked skeptical but didn’t argue the point. “Fine. That doesn’t explain why you’re sitting with me.”

Len took a sip of his coffee before looking at Barry. “You’re too trusting, kid.”

“Because I haven’t sped you to Iron Heights already?” Barry guessed sarcastically.

“Your friend, _Dick_, has a bit of a shady lifestyle,” Len replied.

Barry stilled for several seconds. Len watched him carefully, fully expecting Barry to launch into an impassioned defense of his friend. Instead Barry gave a snicker that quickly evolved into a full laugh. Len glared at Barry, glad the corner offered some protection from the customers who turned to glance their way. Soon there were actual tears in the younger man’s eyes, which he dashed away with the back of his hand. 

After a long, uncomfortable moment (for Len, anyway), Barry sucked in a shaky breath. “Oh man. Thanks, Len. I really needed that.”

Len felt a spark of heat in his belly at the way his name rolled off Barry’s tongue. “You don’t believe me?” he asked, fully prepared to give Barry all the proof he needed.

“Oh, I believe you,” Barry chuckled as he put his phone away and stood up. “In fact, I’d bet I know more about Dick’s shady past than you’ve managed to dig up.”

“And you’re okay with someone like that staying in your apartment?” Len growled, his anger cracking his normally icy facade.

Barry had his jacket halfway on when he paused and looked at Len closely. “Afraid I’ll get a new nemesis?” Barry joked.

Len glared at Barry. “Try to do a guy a favor,” he drawled, getting to his feet. “Just remember, kid,” he said as he stepped around the table, “not everyone you trust is worthy of it.” He walked out of the coffee shop calmly, resisting the urge to stomp.


	2. This is John.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len and Mick have lunch with Barry and his _very_ close friend, John.

**The Second Time**

Len and his partner, Mick, settled into the same side of a booth near the double doors of the diner and ordered coffee. From this position they had an excellent view of the jewelry shop Len was casing for his next heist. He was timing the clerk as she prepared the store to open when he spotted a familiar face coming up the street. A smirk began to form and his mood improved. 

It had been three weeks since he spoke to the kid at Jitters. Lisa had called him a couple of days after that, needing his help with an ex who was giving her trouble, so he and Mick drove out to Coast City to take care of the problem. They had returned only a couple of days ago and dove right into planning their next heist. Barry crossed the street and stepped into the diner, his eyes on his phone. Len cleared his throat loudly, drawing the kid’s attention. “Snart. Rory,” he said vaguely, already looking around for a free seat.

Len’s smirk widened. “Have a seat, Scarlet.”

Barry barely even glanced back at Len. “Um, that’s okay,” he replied, shaking his head. “I’ll find a table.”

Len looked around the packed diner pointedly. “It’s lunchtime. Not a lot of seats available. We have room.”

Barry looked around the room again, huffed wearily then slid into the booth. “Don’t you guys ever worry that you’ll get spotted?”

Mick shrugged calmly, flicking his lighter open and closed. “Place is a hole in the wall. No one notices anything here.”

Barry gave a small shrug of acknowledgement as he picked up a menu. “True. Um, what’s good here?”

Len’s eyed him curiously. “Don’t you usually eat at the Motorcar? You’re not following us, are you?” he teased.

Barry blushed slightly as he shot Len and Mick glares. “No! It’s just… Look, I’d just rather not run into any of the guys from the precinct today, okay?”

Eager for new blackmail material, or the chance to make the hero blush again, Len leaned forward and smirked. “Afraid they’ll think you’re on a date with criminals?”

Barry’s blush did, indeed, deepen. “Not exactly,” he mumbled. Barry hid behind his menu for a few seconds before grumbling under his breath and lowering it. “He’s not a criminal, okay. He’s just… not someone Joe and Iris approve of. Especially Iris. She hates him. Not that he’s not a great guy,” Barry hurried on, thinking the men’s widened eyes were due to censure and not surprise. 

“Okay, so he’s got a few dark spots in his past,” Barry frowned, “but for good reasons. Really good reasons. And he’s very smart and a lot of fun and I trust him, okay? And… and why am I even trying to justify myself to you two?” he ended with a groan, face-planting on the table.

Len’s hands clenched tightly in his lap. “So, West doesn’t like your interest in Dick, huh?”

Barry looked up at Len and Mick with a frown. “Huh?”

Mick flicked his lighter closed as he looked from Len to Barry. “They bigots?”

Len and Barry both turned to Mick with confusion. “What?”

“You said the cop doesn’t like the kid liking dicks,” Mick pointed out to Len.

Barry gave a strangled chuckle. “No, he meant my friend, Dick. Short for Richard. Joe doesn’t care that I’m bisexual. I think he’d prefer I ended up with a woman, but mostly because he’s hoping for grandchildren, but he’s not a bigot.” He sighed and shook his head. “Dick’s a good friend, only.”

“Good to hear.”

All three men turned to look at the newcomer. Barry quickly jumped out of the booth. “John!”

The stranger grinned before slipping one arm around Barry’s waist and tilted his head to lightly kiss Barry’s lips. “Hello, luv.”

Len looked the guy over carefully. He was a bit under 6 foot, with a lean build, blonde hair and brown eyes. He carried himself with confidence, which was at odds with the wrinkled oxford shirt, worn out trench coat and loose tie hanging around his neck. His accent announced his British origins. He seemed closer to Len’s age than Barry’s.

Len disliked him immediately.

Barry smiled brightly, looking extremely pleased by the display of affection. He scooted back into the booth so John could sit beside him. “John, this is Mick Rory and Len Snart. Guys, this is John Constantine.”

John gave the two men smirks and a tiny nod before laying his arm across Barry’s shoulders. “Sorry I’m late. I had to drop Zed and Chas off at the motel. They said to tell you they expect to spend a little time with you while we’re in town.”

“No problem,” Barry grinned. “We’ll get drinks tonight or something.”

John’s smirk turned suggestive. “Maybe not tonight,” he teased.

Barry turned a bright pink, but his eyes were sparkling. “Um, yeah. Probably not.”

John chuckled and looked at Len and Mick. “So, how long have you two known Barry?”

“A few years,” Len answered, eyeing John narrowly. “You?”

“Barry and I were introduced by friends,” he answered vaguely. “And we’ve worked together a few times.”

“What kind of work?” asked Len.

John looked at Barry who shrugged. “Len and Mick work with the Legends. Plus they’re criminals. Captain Cold and Heatwave, respectively.” Seeing the disgruntled frown on Len’s face, Barry hurried on. “John is an exorcist and demonologist. He tracks demons and poltergeists before sending them back to hell.”

Mick’s eyes went really wide. “Really? You believe in demons and ghosts?”

John chuckled. “You believe in time travel and a guy who can run faster than a bullet, but you don’t believe in demons?”

Mick grinned widely, a slightly maniacal look in his eyes. “I’ve always wanted to fight a demon.”

Barry shifted and opened the menu again. “Hungry,” he whined under his breath.

John leaned over and pressed his lips to Barry’s temple. “Order whatever you want, luv. So, Len, being a big time thief, you probably know the museums around here intimately...”

“No shop talk!” Barry growled. John quirked an eye at Barry. Barry huffed. “At least wait until I’ve eaten.”

Len eyed John carefully. “Shop talk?”

Barry growled under his breath. “Shop talk nixed! I mean it! I’m the Flash. I can’t know about museum thefts!”

“Just borrowing, luv,” John laughed.

“Keep it up and it’s you and your hand tonight,” Barry warned.

John turned slightly, his expression heated. “What about my mouth?”

Len gritted his teeth as Barry practically melted into John’s chest. He twitched as Mick placed a warning hand on his knee. He sucked in a deep, silent breath and tried to school his face into cold indifference. 

John suddenly tensed and looked at Len with anger. “Wait! Cold? You’re the asshole who fucks with Barry?!”

“Actually, that would be you,” Barry pointed out with a smirk.

John wasn’t amused. “You could kill him!”

“Len wouldn’t hurt me,” Barry said, waving a hand in an unconcerned way before turning back to the menu. 

John grabbed Barry’s arm tightly. “You’re hanging out with the guy who almost killed you, Barry! I am not okay with this!”

Barry sighed and wrapped his hand around John’s. “I trust him,” he replied softly. “Maybe we started out as enemies, but we’re sort of, almost kinda friends, now.”

“Barry, you can’t befriend your enemies!” John warned. “I know this from experience! You are just going to have to trust me on this!”

Len wanted to ice the guy. Who was he to judge Len? He was just some ass who rolled into town for a booty call!

Barry was silent for a long moment before he dropped his hand and sighed softly. “John, I care about you. We’ve been friends for almost ten years. More than friends, on occasion. Len is more than just a thief. So is Mick. They’re my friends. Len has saved my life more than once. They’ve saved the world several times, just like you. Our battles are more of a game than a fight. I’m not asking you to trust him. I’m asking you to trust me.”

John was silent for a few seconds, eyeing Len and Mick with distaste. Finally he growled under his breath and looked at Barry. “Fine. I’ll drop it. For now. But if he ever hurts you, I’ll find the meanest demon around and bind him to Cold.”

Len started to snort, but Barry turned as white as a sheet. Seeing the stark fear in the speedster’s eyes made him pause. Whether or not he believed the Brit, Barry obviously did.

The arrival of a waitress put an end to the talk. By the time they had all ordered, Barry was talking about some giant shark/man meta that he had run across. Other than a few exchanged glares, Len and John managed to get along for the remainder of lunch. Len and Mick left after they finished eating, grunting a vague goodbye to John and a deliberately warmer one to Barry.

They walked toward the safe house they were currently using in silence. Once inside Mick paused to look at Len carefully. “You care about the kid, don’t you?”

Len paused to gather his thoughts. He knew Mick would see through a lie. He was a hell of a lot more perceptive since the Chronos thing. “I’m not blind. I know he’d never go for a middle aged thief.”

Mick shrugged and turned toward the couch. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

Mick plopped down on the couch with a grunt. “He defended you, his sometimes nemesis/sometimes teammate, against his fuck buddy.” Mick turned his head to look at Len meaningfully. “He chose you over the guy he is intimate with. Something to think about.”

Len frowned as he headed back to his bedroom to grab the book he had been reading earlier. Maybe Barry was defending Len, but that was just Barry’s way. Right? Right.


	3. Thank You, Len.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry helps out on a Legends mission but it brings back some bad memories.

**The Third Time**

Len slouched in his seat as he watched Hunter go over the map that Gideon had displayed. His eyes kept straying to where Palmer, Cisco and Barry were geeking out over some new piece of tech Palmer was working on. When Hunter had first informed them that he was going to bring in Team Flash for this 2021 mission, Len had been torn by conflicting emotions. Being on the Waverider gave him the necessary distance to keep from obsessing over Scarlet. However, he couldn’t deny that having Barry so close made him feel energized.

Hunter cleared his throat and drew everyone’s attention to him. “Okay. Our target is a man named Cameron von Cleer. Gideon’s info tells us that he has access to a weapon Savage needs. We need to detain Mr. von Cleer and have him either tell us everything he knows about the weapon and Savage’s plans, or turn over the weapon to us. Miss Lance, you, Mr. Snart and Mr. Allen will handle getting the weapon while Ms. Saunders distracts the mark. Mr. Rory and Mr. Palmer will act as lookouts for her. Once we have the weapon Mr. Ramon and Professor Stein can examine it.”

Dr. Snow and Cisco exchanged amused looks, then Cisco lifted a hand and cleared his throat loudly. Len watched warily as Barry tensed. 

Hunter paused and glared at the trio and stood up straighter. “Yes?” he bit out, hating to be interrupted.

“Um, Cameron von Cleer, as in the engineering genius behind razor-sonar waves and amateur photographer?” Cisco asked, looking at Barry with a wide grin.

Everyone focused on Barry who was suddenly blushing a bright red and staring at the floor. “Yes,” Hunter replied. “You know of him?”

Dr. Snow giggled. “Not as well as some,” she answered shooting Barry a knowing grin.

Sara smirked, staring at Barry curiously. “Flash?”

Barry huffed and rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ve um...met.” 

Cisco and Snow both snickered, making Barry narrow his eyes. Len sat up straighter, stomach lurching. Just how many damn guys had Barry dated??? 

“In what capacity?” asked Hunter hopefully.

“In the amateur photography capacity,” Snow giggled.

Barry groaned under his breath and looked away from everyone. “Hemighthaveaskedmetoposeforhimonce.”

Snow and Cisco were openly laughing now. Palmer, Kendra and Sara looked confused by the convoluted sentence, but Mick snorted loudly. “Say again, kid?”

Len shot Mick a glare, which the pyromaniac ignored. Barry groaned, dropping his crossed arms and letting his head fall back. “Fine!” Barry growled. “He asked if I would model for him.”

“Like for a magazine?” Palmer asked curiously.

Barry’s eyes narrowed. “Definitely not!”

Sara caught on quickly, as did Len. “More of a private portfolio?” she teased.

Barry gave a single, sharp nod of his head. Hunter tilted his head at Barry hopefully. “That could work in our favor, Mr. Allen. If you approach von Cleer and distract him...”

“You want me to distract him?” Barry growled. “And how exactly do you want me to do that?”

“It’s called honey-potting,” Mick grinned. "You gotta flirt and show off the assets."

Barry paled but didn’t say anything for several seconds. “How far?” he questioned tightly.

Hunter eyed him cautiously. “You merely need to distract him while the others steal the weapon. Mr. Palmer, Miss Saunders and Mr. Rory will be nearby in case you need assistance.”

Barry gave a sharp nod and left the control room. “I’ll change,” he muttered to no one in particular.

* * *

The plan, as usual, went wonky. Barry approached von Cleer at a bar and kept him out drinking and talking while Len and Sara slipped into the man’s lab and stole the cryo-bomb, but the blueprints and schematics were nowhere to be found. Once they were back at the Waverider Hunter called Kendra, Ray and Mick, telling them to return and bring the mark with them.

It only took Barry fourteen seconds to return to the ship. As soon as he had stepped aboard, Barry sped off down one of the corridors. Ray and Mick followed about six minutes later with an unconscious von Cleer between them. While Ray and Kendra went to put him in the holding cell, Mick stepped closer to Len and Sara.

“We got a problem,” the pyro whispered to his partner. “Might wanna check up on the kid.”

Len turned and headed in the direction Barry had disappeared. Mick and Sara only a step behind him. “What happened?” 

Mick frowned slightly as he thought about the evening. “Nothing, really. Talking. Drinking. Kid’s good at evading touches. It was the look in his eyes, though. Something happened, but I didn’t actually see anything. I just know that whatever he did, the bastard scared the kid.” 

They soon found Barry standing in Carter’s old room room, the door open. He was watching the screen over the bed which showed palm trees swaying in a breeze. “Hey, you okay?” Sara asked gently.

Barry didn’t turn to face them, but they saw his shoulders tense. Barry was silent for a long moment before his shoulders suddenly slumped and he wrapped his arms around his waist.

“Von Cleer… it wasn’t long after we met that, um, he pushed me up against a wall in my lab at work, shoved his tongue down my throat and his hand inside my pants. He grabbed me so hard… urinating was painful for a couple of days. I bit his tongue and he slammed my head back against the wall. I had been injured in a battle with Grodd, and was already suffering from a concussion. I barely had the strength to push him aside and get away. If I’d been hurt worse, he might have… _would have_ tried more,” Barry’s voice broke on the last few words, but they heard him clearly enough.

Len’s jaw clenched so hard, he heard his teeth grind. His hands curled into fists and twitched closer to his cold gun. Beside him Mick swore softly. Sara moved closer to Barry.

“Why did you agree to go near a man who assaulted you?” Sara asked, her voice calm but encouraging. “I can’t believe your friends thought this was funny!”

“They don’t know what he did,” Barry admitted weakly. “I never told them.”

“Why?” asked Len tightly.

“Because they were already having a hard time believing me about Wells being the Reverse Flash.” Barry sighed and rubbed his face with both his hands. “Everyone was certain I was imagining things with Wells. It hurt that no one trusted me. It was like when I was a kid, all over again. No one believed me when I said my dad was innocent. I couldn’t take them doubting me about this, too.” Barry shuddered and looked at Len bleakly. “Or worse, thinking I asked for it.”

Len twitched with the urge to go back and ice Barry’s so-called friends. Mick shot him a warning look so he took a deep, steadying breath. “You say this guy assaulted you, so I have no doubts that’s exactly what happened. Me, Mick and Sara could have handled this. You should have stayed here.”

Barry stiffened and shook his head. “No,” he said carefully. “I didn’t want him to touch me, but I wanted to help.” He looked at Len with determination. “I needed to.”

Len hesitated only for a second before nodding. “I know,” he said.

* * *

Len was settling into bed when someone knocked on his door. He frowned at the intrusion but allowed Gideon to open it up. He was surprised to see Barry standing there. “Scarlet? Need something?”

Barry shifted from one foot to the other before sighing and looking at Len. “Hunter gave us Carter’s old room, but to be honest, I really don’t want to share with Cisco right now. Caitlin’s with Kendra and I don’t know Sara, Jaxx or Professor Stein well enough to ask. I guess I could ask Mick, but...”

Len knew he should send Barry away. He was too attracted to the speedster as it was. This was definitely a bad idea. “Come on,” he said gruffly. “You have to sleep on the inside, though. I don’t like being boxed in.”

Barry nodded with relief and hurried into the room. Len watched as Barry slid into the bed and pressed close to the wall, leaving more than half the bed for him. Len crawled in and got settled on his back, one hand cradling the back of his head. He directed Gideon to turn off the lights, just as Barry reached out and settled the blanket over both of them. 

He tensed but Barry rolled over and faced the wall, tucking his hands under his pillow. He could tell neither of them was relaxed enough to fall asleep, but for the life of him he couldn’t think of anything to say to ease the tension.

“Len?”

“Yeah?” 

“Does it make me a bad person that I’m glad you gave him frostbite?”

“Not in my book,” he answered honestly. “He assaulted you, Barry. He’s lucky I didn’t freeze his dick and break it off.”

Barry was silent for several seconds. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“He had it coming.”

Barry sighed, but didn’t roll back toward Len. “No. I mean, thank you for believing me.”

Len swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat. “You’re welcome,” he whispered. He felt Barry slowly relax and within a couple of minutes he was sound asleep. Len allowed his own body to relax as he turned his head to look at Barry. “Good night, Scarlet.”


	4. Pied Piper Spied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len stumbles upon Barry and Hartley on a date.

**The Fourth Time**

“Hello, Scarlet. This isn’t your usual scene,” Len said, sliding onto the bar stool beside Barry.

Barry tensed, but didn’t look at Len. He kept his eyes on his phone. “I’m meeting someone,” he mumbled.

Len smirked as he looked around the dark dance floor and only slightly better lit bar. The Shamrock was little better than a dive bar. A gay dive bar. It was where you were more likely to find a prostitute than a potential boyfriend. It was also the best place to go if you wanted to escape notice. “I take it this is someone you don’t like,” he teased. “Why else would you drink with them here, of all places?”

Barry’s eyes narrowed and his lips pressed tight into a thin line as if hiding a smile, but he continued to look at his phone. “Well, I don’t like you, so I guess you’re right,” he said, no real heat in his voice.

Len placed a hand over his heart. “You’ve wounded me, kid,” he said dramatically. 

Barry’s lips twitch as his smile peeked through. He finally put away his phone and turned to look at Len. “Look, I’m not here as the Flash. I’m just a guy on a date, okay? Cut me some slack tonight?”

Someone eased into the seat on the other side of Barry, interrupting their discussion. Len was disgruntled to see it was Hartley Rathaway. He had no time for Rogue business tonight. 

“Hello,” Hartley said cautiously. 

Barry gave a nod and a small smile. “Hi. I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show.”

Hartley looked at Len for a second before shrugging. “To be honest, I was worried this was some sort of trap until I saw the boss sit down. I didn’t know you two knew one another personally.”

Len watched as Barry shrugged. “We’ve got an understanding. You shouldn’t have worried, though. Like I said, this is outside the whole Flash-Pied Piper business. Just Barry and Hartley having a few drinks to get to know one another.”

Hartley stared at Barry for a long moment before nodding. “Want to get a table?”

Barry grinned and slid from the stool. “I’d love to.”

* * *

Len stared at the apartment door for several seconds, wondering if he was really going to go through with this. This was Mick’s fault, to be honest. When he got back to the safe house last night, he’d been thoroughly blitzed, bordering on blackout drunk. Why? Because Barry fucking Allen was wrecking him! 

First it had been that asshole from Gotham. Sure, he’d had an interest in Barry before that, but he’d always assumed the kid was straight. After all, he had dated only two women since their first battle. Despite Barry claiming they were just friends, there was no doubt that at some point, he had been intimate with _Dick_. There was too much familiarity in the way they touched. It was probably a short term thing, but he could tell it had happened.

Then there was that jackass exorcist. The easy way they touched and kissed told Len they were very comfortable with their arrangement. It wasn’t exclusive, but there were feelings involved. Friendship and trust was evident in the way they spoke to one another. 

He’d been even more jealous of that. He wanted that, with Barry. That closeness, that connection. However, he also wanted more. Not something casual or random. He wanted exclusive rights to Scarlet. 

That’s why he’d been so furious about that von Cleer fucker. Oh sure, he’d have been pissed anyway, just because of the situation, regardless of how he felt about the kid. There were three things Len absolutely hated. Abuse, dirty cops and rape. Knowing that Barry had been sexually assaulted, might have been potentially raped by the man, had him seeing red, and not in a good way. Mick literally had to stop him from killing the bastard.

Through it all, he kept his feelings to himself. Barry was too good for some middle-aged, emotionally stunted thief. Even if Scarlet’s friends and family could ever accept Barry dating a criminal, Barry would never allow himself to be involved with someone who wasn’t at least mostly on the right side of the law. He had resigned himself to lusting from afar, settling for the battles and banter, and occasionally hiring someone who looked enough like Barry to get him off.

Then came last night. Barry had accepted a date with Hartley Rathaway. A criminal. Not just a criminal, a Rogue. He watched them chat, dance, laugh and even share a kiss before parting company. And through it all, he wanted. He wanted so badly, he couldn’t think straight. The want burned inside him. He tried to drown it with shot after shot, but all that did was fuel his fantasies. 

By the time the bartender called Mick to come get him, he was pretty much a goner. The drive to the safe house only took eight minutes, but in that short amount of time, he managed to spill everything. Mick half-carried him inside and began pouring coffee down his throat as he kept talking. All about how fucked up he was in the head for falling for the Flash. How he couldn’t sleep without dreaming of him. How every heist he planned, he made sure there would be a very good chance Barry would show up, giving Len the opportunity to interact with him. He ranted about the men in Barry’s life, listing every fault he could think of, and a few he imagined to be true.

Mick, already in the know as to Len’s crush, let him go on and on, uninterrupted. He listened patiently as Len got everything off his chest. He wisely didn’t mention the couple of tears Len definitely not shed. And when Len had talked himself out, Mick helped him back to his bedroom and tucked him in.

Of course, the second Len woke up, Mick took a different tack. He poured Len a cup of coffee, sat down across from him and looked Len in the eyes before saying “Either go talk to the kid and tell him how you feel, or I swear to god I’ll go seduce him and parade him around like a damn trophy.”

If not for his hangover, Len might have made contact when he lunged across the table trying to punch Mick in the face. Mick easily dodged the swing and rolled his eyes. “I mean it, Snart,” he growled. “I’m tired of you wallowing and whining like a bitch. You want ‘im, so go get ‘im. You and I both know I can be charming when I want. I’ll fuck him and I’ll make sure you hear every sound I can wring out of that pretty mouth.”

So, here he was, standing outside Barry’s apartment, nervous and still a little hungover. He swallowed, raised his hand and knocked.


	5. Okay, Len.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len would rather do just about anything but talk about feelings.

**Len's Time**

Seven seconds passed before he heard Barry call out that he was coming to the door. Another three before the locks clicked and the door opened. Then he was standing right in front of Len, looking both confused and annoyed. 

“Snart? What are you doing here?”

He bit back a groan as he looked Barry over. His hair and skin was still damp from a shower, and he was only wearing a pair of sweatpants that hung low on his hips. All that beautiful pale skin was on display and it made his stomach flutter. Realizing he had been silent for too long, he cleared his throat. “Need to talk,” he managed to mumble.

Barry’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

Len shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching out and touching that smooth skin. “Are you gonna let me in or not?”

Barry huffed and stepped back, waving him inside. “Give me a minute,” Barry grumbled. “I was just getting out of the shower when you knocked.”

Len nodded and watched Barry walk down the hall to another room. Twenty seconds later, Barry was back, wearing jeans, a white t-shirt with the STAR Lab’s logo over the right breast and thick socks. “So, what do you want to talk to me about?” Barry asked, waving Len to the couch and then sitting on the other end, facing him. 

Len took a deep breath and turned sideways. He’s 45, dammit! He shouldn’t feel this nervous! “I was thinking we could have dinner,” he said, finally.

Barry frowned slightly, looking adorably confused. “You want me to feed you?”

“Noooo,” Len drawled. “I mean, go out. To eat. You and me.”

Barry’s confusion seemed to deepen. “But you hate me. Like, a lot.” His eyes narrowed. “Is this a ploy to get me to pay for your food again?”

Len groaned and rubbed a hand down his face. “No! Just food. Conversation. I’ll pay. It’s not that hard of a concept, Scarlet.”

Barry rolled his eyes. “If you’re trying to get information out of me, there are easier wa...”

Len huffed with frustration and surged forward, planting his lips on Barry’s to cut off his words. The second his lips touched Barry’s he was done for. He never wanted it to end. He could feel the electricity in Barry. It didn’t get any better than this, he thought. 

But then it did. It got a hell of a lot better because Barry began to respond. His lips parted and his tongue darted out to swipe across Len’s lower lip. Then he caught it between his teeth and nibbled. Len opened his mouth and Barry’s tongue swept inside, practically curling around his own. Then it did this vibrating thing against his hard palete that pulled a moan from deep inside Len. Shit! Who expected the kid to be this good at kissing??!

Len gasped and pulled back, staring into Barry’s eyes. Seeing the blown pupils inside a thin ring of hazel, he knew Barry was feeling just as aroused. Len grabbed Barry’s legs and shoved them apart before tugging him toward the center of the couch. He slipped between them, forcing Barry to lay back with Len on top. 

Barry moaned loudly, his hands grabbing Len’s waist to pull him closer. Len smirked and bent his head, licking and sucking on that long smooth neck. He bit down as Barry gasped and bucked up against him. He gave a gasp of his own as Barry’s hands slipped to the back of his slacks and began kneading his ass. 

“Fuck, Len,” Barry growled in his ear. 

He pulled away from the ear lobe he was licking and grinned down at the younger man. “Kind of the goal here,” he teased.

Barry whined and gave Len’s ass one more firm squeeze before letting go and reaching up to push at his shoulders. “Wait,” he begged. Len dove back down to kiss him again, but Barry kept pushing. “Please, Len!”

He froze, hearing the steel in Barry’s voice. The taste of rejection settled on his tongue like ashes and he sat back, letting Barry rise, as well. “Sorry,” he mumbled, looking away. “Bad idea.”

He grabbed the back of the couch to leverage himself up, but Barry quickly wrapped his arms around Len’s shoulders, holding him in place. Barry’s eyes searched his for a long moment. “Why?” he asked softly.

Len sighed, his shoulders drooping. “Already embarrassed myself,” he muttered. “Might as well be honest. I like you, Barry. You’re attractive and smart and a good person. Too damn good, sometimes. I’ve wanted you since the day you stopped the armored car heist. My attraction to you has grown ever since. That damn red suit should be illegal! I didn’t want anyone else to ever see you in it but me. I thought I was okay with just playing our usual game. I thought I was okay with just lusting after you. Then I saw you with your friend _Dick_.”

Len glared at him fiercely. “And don’t tell me there’s nothing there. I’m very good at reading people. He touched you way too casually for it to be platonic. _And_ you leaned into him,” he accused.

Barry blushed and rolled his head back. “It was one time, long before I became the Flash. We were drunk and lonely. It’s how I discovered I was bi.”

Len took in a deep breath. “Then there was that moron, John.”

Barry looked at him with disapproval. “Hey! John’s a good guy!”

“He’s an idiot!” Len growled. “Anyone who thinks you don’t deserve their sole attention, who thinks you could be happy without a commitment, is an idiot not worth your time!”

Surprise flickered across Barry’s face. “Did you ever think that maybe I didn’t want a commitment from him?” he asked. “I mean, I care about him. He’s my friend. But I don’t love him romantically. I’d be happy just being his friend. We only ever hooked up when we ran into one another. And even then it’s not something we do every time.” Barry blushed again, but didn’t look away. “It worked because we didn’t have to worry about falling in love. Just sex for the sake of stress relief.”

“And Hartley?” Len asked cautiously. “You two seemed to hit it off,” he complained.

Barry shrugged. “He’s okay. A bit pompous, but nice. We didn’t exactly click, attraction-wise.”

“Really?” Len asked.

Barry nodded. “Kissing Hartley wasn’t nearly as exciting as kissing you,” he admitted. 

He frowned as he stared at Barry. “Then why did you push me away?”

Barry rolled his eyes and smirked. “Despite what you think, I’m not easy, Len. You show up, kiss the hell out of me, and then say fucking is your goal. I didn’t even know you liked me, much less wanted me. And while I am attracted to you, it doesn’t mean I’m going to just fall into bed with you.”

Len smirked. Barry was attracted to him. He wasn’t rejecting him. “Well, I did come here to ask you out,” he purred.

Barry groaned and flopped back onto the couch. “No fair,” he whined. “That voice does things to me!”

Len’s smirk grew and he laid back down over Barry. “Does it now?” he asked, purring some more.

Barry glared at him, but there wasn’t any real anger behind his eyes. “Okay, that voice is banned! No sex voice, Len!”

Len chuckled and kiss Barry’s chin. “So, hungry?” he asked.

Barry smiled and placed a hand on the back of Len’s neck, tugging him closer. “I might be convinced to order in,” he teased.

“Perfect,” Len whispered before kissing Barry again.

**(Epilogue)**

John smirked at his visitor for several seconds before stepping aside and letting the man enter the mill. He silently led the way down into the lower levels. Chaz and Zed looked up curiously as he walked over to the table and lit a cigarette.

“So, we’ve got a lead on a minor demon causing some chaos in San Diego, Mr. Rory,” John said with a wink. “Up for a little road trip?”

Mick grinned widely and lifted his heat gun to his shoulder. “Do I get to burn stuff?”

John grinned. “I can confidently say yes.”

“Excellent!” Mick said eagerly.

Zed leaned closer to Chaz. “Who is he?” she asked, watching as John led Mick deeper into the room to begin packing the necessary items for the job.

Chaz sighed heavily. “Barry’s frenemy, Heat Wave, the pyromaniac.”

“Is he on our side?” she asked warily.

Chaz snorted. “Doubtful.”

“Then why are we taking him with us?”

“Barry asked us to,” Chaz answered. “Apparently he’s the partner of Barry’s boyfriend. They’re off on some sort of couples getaway for their anniversary and didn’t trust him alone. He tends to get into trouble on his own.”

“That doesn’t exactly inspire confidence,” she muttered.

Chaz shrugged. “Barry says that as long as he gets to burn something, he’ll follow orders. Oh, and beer. We have to provide lots of beer.”

“This has disaster written all over it,” she pointed out.

* * *

“And they let you burn down the entire warehouse?” Ray asked with alarm.

Mick grinned and drained the rest of his beer. “It was beautiful,” he told the Waverider crew. “Never seen anything burn like a demon does. There was smoke and flames and sparks. Literal sparks. Purples and reds and blues. It was the most beautiful thing I ever saw.”

“I can’t believe you let him take on a demon with Constantine,” Sara murmured to Len as they watched Mick regale the others with his story.

Len smirked. “It was either that or let him tag along with Barry and I to the Komandoo Island retreat. What would you choose?”

Sara smirked and nodded to acknowledge his point. “So, you and Barry are good?”

Len gave a slight smile which made him look almost shy. “I don’t think I’ve ever been happier,” he admitted. “He’s… We’re…” Len’s smile became a little wider. “It’s good,” he said finally. “We’re really, really good. He has faith in me, Sara. He sees something worthwhile in me. More importantly, he makes me want to be the man he thinks I can be.”

Sara placed her hand on Len’s shoulder and smiled. “You already are, Leonard.”

Len thought about the ring hidden in Barry’s sock drawer. Barry didn’t know he had found it. He had no idea how or when Barry planned to propose, but he knew that when his Scarlet Speedster did ask, he would say ‘yes’ immediately.


End file.
